Biodiscovery Act 2004
LegislationReferenced in 3 bills
Environmental Protection (Great Barrier Reef Protection Measures) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2019
This bill strengthens regulations to protect the Great Barrier Reef from agricultural pollution. It introduces mandatory minimum practice standards for farmers across all six Reef catchment regions to reduce nutrient and sediment runoff, which science identifies as the main cause of poor Reef water quality. The bill also adopts a national standard for listing threatened species.
Biodiscovery and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2019
This bill strengthens protections for First Nations traditional knowledge used in scientific research by requiring researchers to obtain consent and share benefits with knowledge custodians. It also simplifies the approval process for biodiscovery activities and aligns Queensland law with international treaties including the Nagoya Protocol.
Nature Conservation (Special Wildlife Reserves) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2018
This bill creates 'special wildlife reserves' - a new type of protected area for private land that provides the same level of protection as national parks. Landholders voluntarily enter perpetual agreements with the government to protect their land from mining, forestry and other incompatible uses, while retaining ownership. The bill also extends Great Barrier Reef environmental protections to activities crossing into Commonwealth waters.